God's word | "Man Can Only Be Saved Amidst the Management of God" (Excerpt)

Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.

Knowing God’s Sovereignty, I Am No Longer Upset at My Short Stature

By Wang Ting

    I am short in stature, and this once upset me most greatly. When others’ funny looks and sarcasm came upon me, my self-esteem plummeted, and I could only live in my place agitated, suffering and struggling. Until one day, I encountered the omnipotent God. His words of life opened the mysteries that are unknown to man, guided me to shake off the shadow of being short, and lighted up my new life.

In my childhood, I hoped that I would be taller.

    When I was young, because I was shorter than other children of my age, I was placed at the head of the file or in the front row in the classroom. Especially when our teachers asked us to write or do exercises on the blackboard, only when I stood on a small stool could I reach the blackboard. This brought about mockery from my classmates. I felt very ashamed, and envied those taller ones from the bottom of my heart. But I was proud and wasn’t convinced. I often thought: “Though I am less tall than you are now, I will be taller as I grow older.” And so as not to be looked down on me because of my height, I silently made a resolution: “I must surpass you in study.” So in class I listened attentively; outside of class while my classmates were talking, laughing and jesting, afraid of being laughed at, I never joined them but just buried myself in my study. Finally, my hard work paid off—my grades were outstanding, and my teachers and classmates thus paid special regard to me. But yet ridicule could not be escaped. My young heart withstanding such mockery, my personality was becoming solitary and unsociable, and I was unwilling to play with other children.

Christian Worship Song With Lyrics | "God Loves Man With Wounds" | The Love of God Is Great

Christian Worship Song With Lyrics | "God Loves Man With Wounds"

God in flesh is judged, condemned, sneered at.

By the devils He is pursued.

He is spurned by the religious world.

No one can make up for His hurt.

Mankind’s ferocious resistance, his slanders, hunting and false blames

cause God’s flesh to face great dangers.

Who can understand and ease His pain?

God saves corrupt man through patience, He loves people with a bruised heart.

This is the most painful, most painful work of all.

Since the start of God’s work in flesh, what has been revealed is all love.

He gives His everything to man, the substance of His work is love.

Since the start of God’s work in flesh, what has been revealed is all love.

He gives His everything to man, the substance of His work is love.

For thirty-three and a half years,

Jesus lived on earth and wasn’t free from pain

till He was crucified, risen, and appeared to man for forty days.

Hard years of living with man ceased,

but God’s heart still suffered the same, worried where man will end up.

None could know and bear this pain.

Since the start of God’s work in flesh, what has been revealed is all love.

He gives His everything to man, the substance of His work is love.

Since the start of God’s work in flesh, what has been revealed is all love.

He gives His everything to man, the substance of His work is love.

from Follow the Lamb and Sing New Songs

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God Saved Me From a Terrible Car Accident

By Wang Li

    In September, 2012, I was fortunate enough to accept God’s kingdom gospel. But at that time I didn’t have much understanding of the significance of believing in God and fulfilling duties, but always held that we couldn’t live without money in this society. I therefore put all my heart into making money rather than into practicing my faith. As a result, I didn’t have a normal church life and even didn’t make prayers regularly. It was not until I was caught in a terrible road accident that I finally came to realize what is most important in life.

Christian Movie "It's Good to Believe in God" | God Has Given Me a Happy Life

Gospel Movie "It's Good to Believe in God" 

To earn enough money to live a good life, Ding Ruilin and her husband put in bitterly hard work to open and run a business. But, thanks to the CCP government's exploitation and abuse, they remain heavily in debt, and have no choice but to go abroad to work. To make more money, Ding Ruilin takes on two jobs. The heavy burden of her work and the indifference of the people around her make her realize the pain and helplessness of living for money. In the midst of her pain and confusion, she meets high school classmate Lin Zhixin. In their talks, Ding Ruilin sees that Lin Zhixin has come to understand many things because of her faith in God. With God's presence, she feels spiritual peace and happiness and lives in a relaxed, easy state, which makes Ding Ruilin want to believe in God as well. Soon, to make even more money, Ding Ruilin and her husband take over a restaurant, but long-term fatigue causes Ding Ruilin to become seriously ill, which in turn leaves her at risk of paralysis. The torment of her illness makes Ding Ruilin begin to reflect on life. What should people live for? Is it worth sacrificing your life for wealth and fame? Can money help people escape emptiness and misery? Can it save people from death? Through her sisters' fellowship on God's word, Ding Ruilin is able to clearly see the answers to these questions about life, she learns about the most important thing to pursue in life, and she finally finds spiritual release. Through the guidance in God's word, Ding Ruilin finally discovers happiness in life …

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Why Is God Called by Different Names in Different Ages

By Wang Xiao

    When it comes to God’s name, some brothers and sisters say that God’s name is Jehovah, for it is written in the Bible: “Jehovah … is My name for ever, and this is My memorial to all generations” (Exodus 3:15), and some say that God is called Jesus, because the Bible records: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Some, however, have recently seen a verse from the Book of Revelation, chapter 1, verse 8: “I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty,” from which it can be seen that God will name Himself the Almighty. This confounds many people: Why does God’s name change? Why does God take these names? What’s the significance of God taking them?

The Word of the Holy Spirit | "The Work in the Age of Law"

Almighty God says, "During the Age of Law, Jehovah laid down many commandments for Moses to pass on to the Israelites who followed him out of Egypt. …Jehovah established His commandments and laws so that, as He led them in their lives, the people would listen to and obey His word and not rebel against Him. He used these laws to keep the newborn human race under control, the better to lay the foundation for His future work. And so, based on the work that Jehovah did, the first age was called the Age of Law" (The Word Appears in the Flesh).

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Christian Worship Song | "Job's Attitude Toward God's Blessings" With Lyrics

Christian Worship Song With Lyrics | "Job's Attitude Toward God's Blessings"

I

Job believed in his heart that all he possessed

was bestowed by God and not by his own hand.

He did not see blessings as things to take advantage of,

but held onto the way that he should keep

as his guide to living.

Job never reveled or wildly delighted

because of the blessings God bestowed,

nor ignored God’s way or forgot the grace of God

because of blessings he often enjoyed.

Questions and Answers on Being Saved and Being Finally Saved : If we do not accept Almighty God’s work of judgment, then can we really do the heavenly Father’s will? Can we really enter the kingdom of heaven?

　　Answer: If we only accept the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work in the Age of Grace, but do not accept Almighty God’s work of judgment and chastisement in the last days, we will not be able to free ourselves from sin, do the heavenly Father’s will, and enter God’s kingdom. This is beyond doubt! That’s because during the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus did His work of redemption. Due to the stature of the people at that time, the Lord Jesus only gave them the way of repentance, and asked people to understand a few rudimentary truths and paths to practice them. For example: He asked people to confess their sins and repent and bear the cross. He taught them about humility, patience, love, fasting, baptism, etc. These are a few very limited truths that people of that time could understand and attain. The Lord Jesus never expressed other deeper truths that have to do with changing life disposition, being saved, becoming cleansed, being made perfect, etc., because at that time, the people lacked the necessary stature to bear those truths. Man must wait until the Lord Jesus returns to do His work in the last days. He will bestow upon corrupt mankind all the truths they need to be saved and perfected according to God’s management plan of saving mankind and the needs of the corrupt mankind. It is just as the Lord Jesus said, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (Jhn 16:12-13). The Lord Jesus’ words are very clear. During the Age of Grace, the Lord Jesus never gave corrupt humans all the truths they required to be saved. There are still many deeper, higher truths, that is, there are many truths that the Lord Jesus did not tell mankind that will allow people to be freed from their corrupt satanic dispositions and achieve holiness, as well as truths that man requires to obey and know God. Therefore, in the last days, Almighty God expresses all truths necessary to save mankind. He uses these truths to judge, chastise, cleanse, and perfect all who accept Almighty God’s salvation in the last days. In the end, these people will be made complete and taken into God’s kingdom. This is how God’s management plan to save mankind shall be completed. If we only accept the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work, but do not accept Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days, we will never be able to obtain the truths and change our disposition. We will never become one who does God’s will and will definitely never be qualified to enter God’s kingdom.

What Does “Blessed Are the Pure in Heart” in Matthew 5:8 Mean?

By Xiaoming

Editor’s Note:

    Why did the Lord Jesus teach us to be people who are pure of heart? From the examples of a blind man and the Pharisees recorded in the Bible, Jack, a Christian, has gotten a new understanding of it. Read now!

    Jack, who had just returned from evangelizing London, arrived at the door of a coffee shop around the corner at 2 p.m. as usual.

    Perhaps because the owner of this coffee shop was a Christian, there were free copies of the Bible there for every Christian friend to read. For Jack, this place was of course his first choice, because the quiet environment there enabled him to have more closeness with the Lord.

    As soon as Jack walked in, a skillful barista saw him. This barista had known Jack for a long time, therefore he knew Jack’s habits—an espresso and a Bible would be quite enough.

2019 Christian Movie Trailer "It's Good to Believe in God" | The Secret to a Happy Life

Christian Movie Trailer "It's Good to Believe in God"

To earn enough money to live a good life, Ding Ruilin and her husband put in bitterly hard work to open and run a business. But, thanks to the CCP government's exploitation and abuse, they remain heavily in debt, and have no choice but to go abroad to work. To make more money, Ding Ruilin takes on two jobs. The heavy burden of her work and the indifference of the people around her make her realize the pain and helplessness of living for money. In the midst of her pain and confusion, she meets high school classmate Lin Zhixin. In their talks, Ding Ruilin sees that Lin Zhixin has come to understand many things because of her faith in God. With God's presence, she feels spiritual peace and happiness and lives in a relaxed, easy state, which makes Ding Ruilin want to believe in God as well. Soon, to make even more money, Ding Ruilin and her husband take over a restaurant, but long-term fatigue causes Ding Ruilin to become seriously ill, which in turn leaves her at risk of paralysis. The torment of her illness makes Ding Ruilin begin to reflect on life. What should people live for? Is it worth sacrificing your life for wealth and fame? Can money help people escape emptiness and misery? Can it save people from death? Through her sisters' fellowship on God's word, Ding Ruilin is able to clearly see the answers to these questions about life, she learns about the most important thing to pursue in life, and she finally finds spiritual release. Through the guidance in God's word, Ding Ruilin finally discovers happiness in life … 

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Christian Short Film | Warnings of the Last Days From God "The Days of Noah Have Come"

God's voice "How to Know God's Disposition and the Result of His Work" (Part One)

God’s words in this video are from The Word Appears in the Flesh. The content of this video: The Outcome’s Weight in People’s Hearts People’s Beliefs Cannot Substitute for the Truth There Are Many Opinions Concerning the Standard With Which God Establishes Man’s Outcome

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How She Won Her Unfaithful Husband’s Heart Back

By Jiamei

Her Husband’s Online Entanglement Raises a Red Flag

    “Uncle, none of that online chatting stuff is real. There are lots of people now using that to cheat people, how could there be anyone there that really wants to meet you?”

    “I know where to draw the line. Mind your own business….”

    When Jiamei overheard that exchange between her husband and his niece, her face immediately fell. Why would she say that? Could it be that there was another woman…?

    After his niece left, Jiamei couldn’t hold herself back. She asked him: “Why did your niece say that? Is there someone else?”

    He paused for a moment, and then prevaricated: “I just invited an online friend to a couple of meals. There’s nothing between us—don’t let your mind run wild.”

Christian Song With Lyrics | "The Way to Quieten Your Heart Before God"

Christian Praise Song | "The Way to Quieten Your Heart Before God"

Ways to quiet your heart before God

are to begin with ways of prayer.

Have a single mind, pray at a fixed time.

Even if busy, pressed for time, no matter what comes upon you,

daily pray as normal, eat and drink God’s words.

Prayer is where you should start from.

Peaceful prayer bears the best fruit.

Eat God’s words, imbibe, try obtaining light.

When you ponder over God’s words, the path to practice you should seek,

know where God’s words aim, and don’t deviate.

Draw God near to your heart and contemplate God’s love.

Ponder the words of God, block outside distractions.

Quieting your heart before God

is one of the most crucial steps for entering into God’s words.

All urgently need this lesson,

all urgently need this lesson.

European MP at ISHR Annual Meeting: CCP's Rule Exceeds Orwell's 1984

April 6 and 7, 2019, the 47th annual meeting of the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) was held in Frankfurt, Germany. This year's theme was "Enlighten, Help, work up—Human Rights Commitment today." The ever-worsening human rights situation in China as well as the issue of the rights of persecuted Christians were constantly brought up, garnering a great deal of attention from participants.

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Guided by God’s Words I Stop Being Jealous

By Jianding

    Editor’s note: In daily life, we are often jealous of people who are better than us and even may dislike and contend with them. The author of this article once lived in jealousy because her classmate was superior to her. She felt extremely miserable and was desperate to free herself from such misery. Now she has successfully emerged from the mire of jealousy. How has she achieved that? This article will tell you.

2019 Christian Music Video | "I Have Seen God's Love" | Praise and Worship Song

Gospel Music Video | "I Have Seen God's Love" | Praise and Worship Song

Almighty God, it is You who loves me.

Out of the filthy world You have chosen me!

So I have come before You, yes, I have come before You,

living a life of the church, enjoying Your words every day.

Having such blessing is You uplifting me today!

Almighty God, I have seen Your love,

and all I wanna do is repay Your love.

All I wanna do is fulfill my duty to You.

I have seen Your love and will repay Your love!

It’s all I wanna do.

The Word of the Holy Spirit | "God's Utterances to the Entire Universe: The Fourteenth Utterance"

Almighty God says, "I stand over the universe day after day, observing, and I humbly hide Myself in My dwelling place to experience human life, closely studying man’s every deed. No one has ever truly offered up himself to Me. No one has ever pursued the truth. No one has ever been conscientious for Me. No one has ever made resolutions before Me and kept to his duty. No one has ever allowed Me to dwell in him. No one has valued Me as he would his own life. No one has ever seen in practical reality the whole being of My divinity. No one has ever been willing to be in contact with the practical God Himself."

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Why Did Gamaliel Who Was Familiar With the Scriptures Not Follow the Lord Jesus?

By Xiaoding

    Such an incident is recorded in Acts in the Bible: Around A.D. 35, under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the apostles of the Lord Jesus preached His salvation everywhere. At that time, through those apostles the Lord performed many signs and wonders, and thus there were more and more people who believed in and returned to the Lord. Seeing this, the rulers, the scribes, and the high priest bore a grudge against the apostles, and so they sent people to arrest them and were trying to murder them. At this time, there was a person called Gamaliel, who stood up and said, “And now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nothing: But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest haply you be found even to fight against God” (Acts 5:38–39). Gamaliel said these words to exhort the rulers, the scribes, and the high priest not to act blindly. He said to them that, what came from God shall increase, what came from man shall decrease, and that if what the apostles did came from God but they blindly resisted and condemned them, then they would probably become people who attacked God. The council listened to him, and did not murder the apostles but let them go.

Christian Gospel Music With Lyrics | "Pay Attention to the Fate of Mankind" | The Salvation of God

Christian Gospel Music With Lyrics | "Pay Attention to the Fate of Mankind"

God urges the people of all ethnicities, all countries and even industries:

Listen to God’s voice and see His work; 

pay attention to the fate of humanity;

make God the most holy and honorable, the highest and only object for worshiping;

allow the whole of humanity to live under the blessing of God,

just as the descendants of Abraham lived under the promise of Jehovah,

just as God’s creations Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden.

2019 Gospel Movie (Trailer) | "Faith in God 2 – After the Church Falls"

Gospel Movie (Trailer) | "Faith in God 2 – After the Church Falls"

Yu Congguang is an evangelist who makes a dangerous escape from a CCP mass arrest. Afterward, he makes his way to the home of Three-Self Patriotic Movement Christian Chen Song'en. Chen Song'en's Three-Self Patriotic Movement church is demolished by the CCP, and some in the church, after listening to the teachings of their pastors and elders, pray for the CCP regime, believing that by doing so, they are keeping the words of the Lord Jesus, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). However, many believers are confused, because despite the fact that they prayed for blessings for the CCP for so many years, the CCP not only failed to repent, but even demolished their church. They wonder: Does praying for the CCP actually accord with God's will? The congregation argues about the question but can't reach a conclusion. Later, through reading God's words and the fellowship of Yu Congguang and his associate, Chen Song'en and the others learn the true meaning of the Lord Jesus' teaching to "love your enemies." They also gain discernment of the CCP's satanic essence, which is to resist God and loathe the truth, and clearly see the dangerous consequences of following the pastors and elders down the Three-Self path and relying on the protection of a satanic ruling power …

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How Should We Pray According to His Will? Get Inspired From 3 Biblical Stories

By Xuesong

    Praying is a way for Christians to commune with God and obtain enlightenment from Him, and is an essential practice in our daily life. Since praying is so important to us Christians, how should we pray according to His will so that He will hear? This is an issue that every Christian is concerned about. Now let’s find out the answer from three biblical stories.

The Hypocritical CCP Instigates Farcical Demonstration in South Korea

Since coming to power, the CCP has never stopped persecuting religious belief. Especially since Xi Jinping has taken office, religious persecution, and in particular, the suppression of Christianity, has escalated to new heights today. The unscrupulous suppression, arrests, and persecution have not only been carried out against house church Christians. Even officially-run Three-Self churches and crosses have been demolished in large numbers. Christians have been arrested, sentenced, and jailed in large numbers, and some have even been beaten to death. Countless Christians have had to flee their homes to avoid the CCP’s arrest, unable to return, and many Christians have been persecuted so severely that they have no choice but to flee to democratic nations to seek asylum. Yet the evil CCP is hardly content to allow these Christians to escape. The CCP not only uses diplomatic and economic means to put pressure on these democratic nations, it also trains and embeds large numbers of special agents to work in these countries and monitor Christians, with the goal of extraditing these escaped Christians to China by every possible way. In September of 2018, for example, an incident occurred in South Korea targeted at threatening these Christian refugees. A Korean woman led over ten family members of escaped Chinese Christians living in Korea, in a demonstration, in which she claimed that the Christian asylum seekers of The Church of Almighty God (CAG) in South Korea were “false refugees,” and demanded that the Korean government repatriate them to China. The demonstration proved immediately controversial. But, the demonstration poses a question: Why would a South Korean citizen, living long-term in South Korea, lead more than ten relatives of Christians, of Chinese nationality, in such a demonstration? She was entirely unfamiliar with these Christians’ family members, and didn’t know the background of the CCP’s persecution of Christians, so why would she organize the relatives of these Chinese Christians to conduct such a demonstration in South Korea? Why did she claim that these CAG Christians fled to Korea were false refugees and demand that the South Korean government repatriate them? It truly is a puzzling situation. What hidden factors were behind this demonstration? On today’s program, our guests are two Christians from The Church of Almighty God whose Chinese family members took part in the demonstration. Today’s topic will be a discussion of the events surrounding the demonstration.

Gospel Music "Blessed Are Those Who Accept God's New Work" | Thank God for His Blessing

Gospel Music "Blessed Are Those Who Accept God's New Work" | Thank God for His Blessing (Lyrics)

All who obey the words now spoken

by the Holy Spirit are so blessed.

It doesn’t matter how they used to be,

or how the Holy Spirit worked in them.

Those who’ve gained His most recent work are most blessed.

Those who are unable to are eliminated.

Now this group of people,

who’ve accepted God’s newest work,

have been predestined before the ages

and are the most blessed of all.

You hear God’s voice directly, you behold His appearance.

So in heaven, earth, and through the ages,

none have been more blessed than you.

I Finally Understand That Obeying Pastors Is Not Obeying God

By Shixing, Malaysia

    “Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God” (Acts 20:28).

    Pastors and elders frequently use this verse of Scripture to teach us that pastors are established by God, and that obeying our pastors is obeying God. Especially when I saw how my pastors were familiar with the Bible, how they labored and paid a price, and how they could devote their entire lives to the church, I felt that they were a worthy example to imitate, so I actively took part in serving the church and later became a church worker.

2019 Christian Movie "The People of the Heavenly Kingdom" | An Inspirational True Story

Christian Film "The People of the Heavenly Kingdom" | An Inspirational True Story

The Lord Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). The Lord Jesus told us that only honest people can enter the kingdom of heaven; only honest people can be people of the kingdom. This movie tells the story of the Christian Cheng Nuo's experience of God's work and the course of her pursuit to become an honest person in life.

Cheng Nuo used to be a doctor. Even after believing in God, when she encounters things that impinge on her own interest and face in her day-to-day life, she still can't help but lie and deceive. In the face of trials and tribulations she even develops misunderstandings and gripes about God, but through seeking the truth time after time and undergoing the judgment and chastisement of God's words, she gains an understanding of the root of her dishonesty and her selfish, slippery satanic nature. She begins to focus on pursuing the truth to resolve her tendency to lie and the dishonesty in her heart. Later when she is arrested by the Chinese Communist Party government while performing her duty and suffers devastating torture, she is ready to die before telling a lie and refuses to deny God. She bears a beautiful, resounding witness for God. Cheng Nuo is able to gradually become an honest person, and truly love and obey God. So what really is her story?

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Do You Know the Way to Trusting God Through Trials?

By Huixin

    Every brother and sister will encounter trials, like illness, persecution and suffering, natural and manmade disasters. When these situations befall us, they are tests of our faith and obedience toward God. The Bible says, “For You, O God, have proved us: You have tried us, as silver is tried” (Psalm 66:10). “My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2–4). From this we can see that trials are God’s tests and ordeals for people. They can temper people’s will, refine their confidence, cleanse the impurity in their belief in God, further their spiritual growth and make them soon become someone after God’s heart.

2019 Beautiful Praise and Worship Song | "The Life of Man Cannot Be Without God's Sovereignty"

Christian Praise and Worship Song | "The Life of Man Cannot Be Without God's Sovereignty"

Not a thing, not a man can be without
the rule, the sovereignty of God.
Man’s life or life in flesh would be no more
without God’s rule and provisions.
This is the import of God’s establishment
of environments for man’s survival.

Questions and Answers on the Inside Story of the Bible: Since Paul stated that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” it is not wrong, because he was an apostle of God. God was telling mankind through Paul that scriptures were all inspired by God and are all the word of God. Do you dare deny this?

    Answer: This issue is highly representative. Next, let us communicate on whether these epistles written by Paul and other apostles were really inspired by God and whether they can represent the word of God. That way we will know how to treat these epistles of the apostles. Before we continue communicating, allow us to first read two passages of Almighty God’s word! Almighty God says, “And thus, the Pauline epistles of the New Testament are epistles that Paul wrote for the churches, and not inspirations from the Holy Spirit, nor are they the direct utterances of the Holy Spirit. They are merely words of exhortation, comfort, and encouragement that he wrote for the churches during the course of his work. So, too, are they a record of much of Paul’s work at the time. They were written for all of the brothers and sisters in the Lord, and were in order to make the brothers and sisters of all of the churches at the time follow his advice and abide by all of the ways of the Lord Jesus. By no means did Paul say that, be they the churches of that time or of the future, all must eat and drink the things of him, nor did he say that his words all came from God. According to the circumstances of the church at that time, he simply communed with the brothers and sisters, and exhorted them, and inspired belief in them; and he simply preached or reminded people and exhorted them. His words were based upon his own burden, and he supported the people through these words. … All he said that was edifying and positive to people was right, but it did not represent the utterances of the Holy Spirit, and he could not represent God. It is an egregious understanding, and a tremendous blasphemy, for people to treat the records of a man’s experiences and a man’s epistles as the words spoken by the Holy Spirit to the churches! … His identity was merely that of a working apostle, and he was merely an apostle who was sent by God; he was not a prophet, nor a foreteller. So to him, his own work and the lives of the brothers and sisters were of the utmost importance. Thus, he could not speak on behalf of the Holy Spirit. His words were not the words of the Holy Spirit, much less could they be said to be the words of God, for Paul was nothing more than a creature of God, and was certainly not the incarnation of God. … If people see the epistles or words like Paul’s as the utterances of the Holy Spirit, and worship them as God, then it can only be said that they are too indiscriminating. To speak more harshly, isn’t this nothing but blasphemy? How could a man talk on behalf of God? And how could people bow down before the records of his epistles and of the words he spoke as if they were a holy book, or a heavenly book? Could the words of God be casually uttered by a man? How could a man talk on behalf of God? And so, what say you—could the epistles that he wrote for the churches not be tainted with his own ideas? How could they not be tainted with human ideas? He wrote epistles for the churches based on his personal experiences and the extent of his own life. For instance, Paul wrote an epistle to the Galatian churches which contained a certain opinion, and Peter wrote another, which had another view. Which of them came from the Holy Spirit? No one can say for sure. Thus, it can only be said that they both bore a burden for the churches, yet their letters represent their stature, they represent their provision and support for the brothers and sisters, and their burden toward the churches, and they only represent human work; they were not entirely of the Holy Spirit. If you say that his epistles are the words of the Holy Spirit, then you are absurd, and you are committing blasphemy! The Pauline epistles and the other epistles of the New Testament are equivalent to the memoirs of the more recent spiritual figures. They are on a par with the books of Watchman Nee or the experiences of Lawrence, and so on. It’s simply that the books of recent spiritual figures are not compiled into the New Testament, yet the substance of these people is the same: They were people who were used by the Holy Spirit during a certain period, and they could not directly represent God.” (“Concerning the Bible (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

Why Did the Jews Yearn for the Coming of the Messiah yet Oppose Him When He Truly Came?

By Xia Wei

    As we all know, the Jews were God’s chosen people, Israel was the birthplace of God’s work, the Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would lead the lives of the Israelites, and thus the Jews had eagerly yearned for the coming of the Messiah. But why was it that when the Messiah—the Lord Jesus—truly came to work, they didn’t accept Him, yet opposed Him and even crucified Him? This is what we will talk about today. May the Lord guide us.